Harvey Updyke pleads guilty to poisoning the Toomer’s Oaks

Harvey Updyke has plead guilty to Criminal Damage to an Agricultural Facility, a class C Felony, Lee County District Attorney Robbie announced today in a press release.

Updyke was sentenced to three years and remains incarcerated until he finishes serving at least six months.

From the press release:

Upon his release, Mr. Updyke will be under supervised probation for a period of five years. Conditions of Updyke’s probation include a 7 p.m. curfew, he is forbidden to attend any collegiate athletic event, and is banned from any property belonging to Auburn University. Mr. Updyke was also ordered not to speak to the media as an addition condition of probation.”

Mr. Treese said “We have a significant number of violent felonies awaiting trial in Lee County and I could not in good conscience justify financing a three wee trial merely to arrive at no better a resolution.” According to Treese, a trial would have caused the state to incur the expenses associated with the transportation and lodging for as many as 50 witnesses plus the fees required by several experts.

Restitution costs will be assessed by the court at a later date. However, under Alabama’s Farm Animal, Crop and Research Facilities Protection Act, the amount of restitution is automatically doubled once determined. Mr. Treese further state that “Whether or not Mr. Updyke can manage to stay on probation is entirely up to him. Despite the destruction he has caused, no one is capable of diminish the spirit of our community.

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He can’t help himself. Even if he gets out for good behavior, he’ll find a way to break his probation, either by sneaking in to a college game or by running his mouth to the press (as in the past). I just think he should have to pay restitution. AU has poured a lot of money into saving the oaks and now they’ll have to pay more money for the removal and for the *new* park that they’ll build.

Treese let us down, hope he never wants to be relected in this county. I also don’t appreciate the remarks made by Jay Jones, this was a crime, maybe not violet, but a crime just the same. I’m very disappointed in a no judgement, this is just a slap on the hand and a slap in the face of Auburn people.